Sound box for talking machines



Sept. 15. 1925.

M. F. M CORMICK SOUND BOX FOR TALKING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Shoot 1 OriginalFiled mp2s, 1920 III! on VIIAVAVAVAvIVIVAVIIIIIIAIAVIIAvAIJIIIrI Sept.15.- 1925.

M. F. M CORMICK SOUND BOX FOR TALKING MACHINES Original Filed Oct. 28.1920' 3 Sheets-Shoot 2 7 -MFM 0m-memj .x iiiiiiiumm IIII II I IIIIIIIIISept. 15.1925, 1,553,701

. M. F' M CORMICK SOUND BOX FOR TALKING MACHINES Original Filed Oct. 28,1920 5 Sheets-Sheet, 3

. I I gnu Roz MKM Cormick,

Muveasm I 1 45.

Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,553,701 PATENT OFFICE.

mAnIoN r. mcooRMIcx, or GRIFFITH, INDIANA.

SOUND Box iron TALKING MACHINES.

Application filed October 28, 1920, SeriaLNo. 420,16,4. Renewed January10, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARION F. MCCOR- MICK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Griffith, in the county of Lake and State ofIndiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sound Boxes forTalking Machines, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a soundbox for talking machines and has for its purpose to provide an improvedconstruction to eliminate the scratching noise orv sound whichaccompanies the playing of a record.

It is well known that the needle, in reproducing a record, causes ascratching or grating sound as the record is moved thereby, which soundoften renders the reproduced notes indistinct and is caused by frictionthrough the dragging of the rotating record or disk beneath the needle,the latter being fixed relative tothe sound box. The primary aim of thisinvention is to mount the playing needle on the soundbox so as-to moveinrolling contactwith the record and not drag over the same,

The further object resides in a needle journaled on the sound box so asto rotate on its longitudinal axis and thus have a rolling contact withthe record to thereby prevent the needle being dragged over the latter.

The invention has for a further object to provide a rotatable needlecombined with needle rotating means which is operated by the recordrotations.

Theinvention further resides in the features of construction and thearrangements and combinations of parts described in detail in thefollowing specification and defineddn a succinct manner in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure1 is a front elevation of theim Figure 5 is a partial elevationdisclosing a modified mounting of the needle in which the needle has nopositive drive; 7

Figure 6 isa fragmentary front elevation of the sound box furtherdisclosing the modified construction; and

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 6;

Figures 8 and 9 are horizontal sectional views illustrating furthermodified needle mountings and rotating drives;

Figures 10 and 11 are plan views of blanks from which the stylus rodsdisclosed in Figures 8 and 9,1nay be made from sheet steel or othermetal; and

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view showing diagrammatically asound record and a stylus in playing position thereon.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, ldesignates thebody or casingof the sound box having a vibratory diaphragm 2 secured to the casing,as by screws 3 and ring 4.

The stylus rod 5 has its upper end centrally fixed to the diaphragm andits intermediate portion equipped with oppositely extending trunnions 6that are journaled on the bearing points 7 screw threaded throughupstanding lugs 8 on the clamping ring 4.

p The lower end of the stylus rod is provided I with a stylus bearing 9and a thrust bearing 10, the latter being connected to the former by theintegral frameor arm 11. A laterally disposed oil cup 12 communicateswith the bearing 9 and a lubricant cup 13 is formed in the bearing10,,said oil cups being packed with an oil absorbent material asillustrated. I

-An L-shaped bracket or support 14 is secured to body 1 and extendsforwardly tofprovide a resilient o'r yieldable arm on the outer end ofwhichis mounted a journal box 15', and 1n this bearing is ournaled ashaft 16carrying a wheel or pulley 17.1 The shaft bearing is formed withan oil duct or chamber 18 packed, as indicated,

to hold a supply of the lubricant therein.

The belt, v

p the stylus but also to serve as holders for engages the sound recordand provides a track-laying drive for the rotating stylus.

The pulley and diameter of the stylus at the point about which the beltpasses, which portion can be considered as a driven pulley while thelarger pulley can be termed the driving pulley, are proportionedtorotate the ball end of the stylus equal to the speed of theuiid'enruiining record to thereby obviate all scratch and drag of theneedle or stylus over the record: The resilient sup port for the drivepulley readily yields with the latter to accommodate for any irregularmotion of theturntable.

In Figures *5, "(Sand 7 the modified construction eliminates the needledrive and substitutes a nove'l meant for the stylus which consists of abushing 22 inserted through the bearing 10" and-threaded in the bearing'9", said bus-hing having a central lubricant chamber 23 extendingaxially through the rear: end and closed thereat by a cupped plug 24designated to act as a thrust bearing for the inner pointed end of thestylus 25. stylus is jou'rnaled in the bushing as at 26 and has itsprotruding extremity in" the shape of a ball 27 for rolling in: thesound groove. The chamber is intended to contain a lubricant-absorbingfiller. H

In Figure 8', I provide the stylus 28 with a shoulder 29 on its innerend which cooperates with an internal shoulder '30 in the bushing orbarrel" 31" for preventing longitudinal displacementof'the stylus, the

latter having a peripheral groove immedie ately adjacent its b'alledpoint in which a round belt 32 engages, as drii 'en by the drive pulley33. I p I Figure, 9 discloses a flat belt drive 34 for a stylus 35 whichis j'our'naled. at each end portion IllrbOX bearings 36, said bearing'sbeing formed by bending the terminal portions of the blank disclosed inFigure 11 into rectangular shape to not only journal thelubricantJabsorbnt material, as shown. The diagrammatic llustration inFigure 12 clearly indicates the manner in which the. greater portion ofthe ballpoint rolls on the outer wall of the record groove toaccommodate the greater distance about the disk, the inclination of thestylus permitting the ball point to have excellehtContact in the groove.v i I I In either form the ball pointed stylus or needle has rollingcontact in the record groove for eliminating "any dragging or scratchingsound.1 The stylus is inclined slightly with respect to the record andaccordingly the stylus-supporting bearings on the lower ends of thestylus rodsf5 are also inclined. Furthermore, as depicted in Figure 5,it will be observed" that the stylus on its inward travel-across therecord main- Th'e forward end of the.

tains a constant radial disposition for the better rolling of the ballpoint. 7

Obviously, various changes in form and construction can be resorted toas may fall within the scope of the appended claims without departingfrom the spirit of my inventiom ,7 s

The term needle as herein employed, and especially in the "claims,'comprehends any stylus or device or the like which engages the recordfor the purpose of re pro duci-n-g the sound.

hat is claimed is:

1. In combination with a reproducible record, sound box, a casing, adiaphragm tlierefor,a stylus rod connected to the diaphragm andform'edwith a stylus-bearing, 'a stylus journaled in said bearingtransverse ly of the record groove, a wheel; a yieldable supportthere-for carried bythe case and a driving'belt engaging the record andpassing about the wheel and the stylus for r'otatin-gthe latter; y

2. In asound box, .a stylus rod having a ournal bearing intermediate itsends and a thrustflbea-ring at its inner end, and means intlerme'diatethe bearings for rotating the ro 3-. In combination with a reproducibler'ec- 0rd, a sound box, a needle mounted to have rolling contact withthe record in the direction of rotation thereof, and means proportion-edto rotate the needle at the point of contactfwith the record at a speedto give the reproducing point a circumferential velocity equal to thespeed of travel of the rec-- ord there beneath whereby said needle willhave a non-rub rolling contact with said record, i

4;. In combination with a reproducible rec- 0rd, 'a sound. box, aneed-lerotatably supported transversely of the record grobve for havinga rolling contact tli'erewitli-,,and

means forrotatiiig the needle in the direc-Q tion of rotation of therecord and commensurate with the speed thereof to eliminate dragging voithe needle when reproducing sound.

5. In combination with a reproducible record, a sound box, a needlerotatably sup ported substantially radially of the playing record forhaving"- a rolling contact on the side therewith, and means, forrotating the needle in the direction of rotation of the recordcommensurate with thespeed thereof playing disk beneath the needlewhereby said playing point will have a rolling contact with the disk.

7. In combination with a reproducible record, a sound box for talkingmachines, a body, a diaphragm, a stylus rod mounted on the body andattached to the diaphragm, and a stylus rotatably mounted in the outerend of the rod and disposed pointing inwardly and radially throughoutits bodily movement over the record.

8. In combination With a reproducible record, a sound box for talkingmachines, a body, a diaphragm, a stylus rod mounted 011 the body andattached to the diaphragm, the outer end of the rod provided with spacedstylus bearings, a stylus mounted therein, a drive Wheel carried by thebody, and a belt engageable with the record and passing about the wheeland the stylus for rotating the stylus.

9. In combination with the record of a sound reproducing machine, astylus and means for rotatably supporting the stylus at an incline tothe record and transversely of the sound groove of the record to haverolling contact therewith.

10. In combination with the record of a sound reproducing machine, astylus, means for rotatably supporting the stylus transversely of thesound groove of the record to have rolling contact therewith, andtracklaying driving means for the stylus.

11. In combination with the record of a sound reproducing machine, astylus having a spheroidal point, and means rotatably supporting thestylus for rolling contact of the spheroidal point on the record.

12. In combination, a record, and a rotatable, ball-pointed, soundreproducing needle supported and inclined with respect to the record,transversely of the reproducing portion of said record, so as to have arolling contact therewith in reproducing sound, and means for positivelyrotating the needle. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MARION F. MCCORMICK.

